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What is Nytril?
Nytril is a desktop application that produces documents from a program written in the Nytril
language. Documents are created when the program runs, and they are visible in a built-in
document viewer.
Why not just use a word processor?
A word processor is great for documents that contain mostly text and don't contain data, or
share content with other documents. But to create a series of documents that use shared data,
styles, logos and text, or include results of calculations, you should consider using Nytril to build
the whole set of documents at once. Using Nytril, you are not writing a single stand-alone
document. Instead, you are writing code that produces one or more documents with a unified
style.
Can I use Nytril to do calculations like a spreadsheet?
Yes! Calculations can be embedded right in line with the narrative text. For 'smart' documents,
Nytril has several advantages over a spreadsheet. The first is that the code and the document it
produces are seperated on screen. Code on the left, document on the right. Since the code is
always visible, not hidden inside cells, it is easier to understand and follow. Second, you can use
the built-in debugger to step through the code and examine intermediate values. Third, the
output is already a document so there is no copy-paste or 'pagination' step at the end, where you
try to isolate the results for communication with others. A Nytril document is always presentable
and 'printable.'
Is it similar to writing a macro in a spreadsheet?
In a limited sense, a Nytril program is like a macro. If you write spreadsheets with macros, you
should give Nytril a try. The results of your code simply flow into the document instead of into
cells in a sheet.
Is Nytril a new programming language?
Yes. The Nytril language is a cross between C-style languages (e.g. C#, Swift, and JavaScript) and
markup languages (e.g. LaTeX, SVG and Markdown.) Nytril gives you all the power and familiarity
of a C-style programming language with features such as variables, functions, namespaces,
classes, inheritance, and polymorphism. But as in a markup language, adding content is as easy
as typing, with no 'Write' or 'Print' statements. This combination radically simplifies the task of
turning text, data, images and logic into professional documents that are easy to read and
update when data changes.
I write Python scripts to calculate and output text. Why do I need Nytril?
All languages allow you to write plain-text to a console (e.g. printf.) In Nytril, the output is a richly
formatted document. You have the freedom to format each part of your output in different
fonts, colors, styles, paragraphs, and tables. You can also create different sections with different
orientations and margins, just like in a word processor. Your calculations are always ready to
show.
If I find a mistake in my document, how do I know what part of the code to edit?
Every part of a Nytril document has a link to the code that is responsible for it. Simply hold down
the control key and click anything in your document. Nytril will take you to the exact place in the
code where that part of the document is created.
Can Nytril use information from my database?
Yes. Nytril has a simple but powerful API to connect to and query any type of database (even
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Excel spreadsheets), using SQL. If you use SQL reporting engines to make reports, you will find
that you can accomplish the same goal using Nytril.
Does Nytril desktop require an internet connection?
No. Nytril is a conventional native desktop application that uses your computer's CPU and
storage to compile and run your code, so it's fast and responsive. Nytril does not require an
internet connection to run, so you can work offline. When you're back online, you can push and
publish your work.
Does Nytril upload my source-code to the web?
No. Your code remains private to your local computer and source-control systems. Nytril will
never upload or share your source code.
Can I create charts with Nytril?
Yes. Nytril has integrated charting features that allow you to easily turn your data into scalable
charts. Of course, you can easily reuse the same data to make a table, and/or do some
calculations.
Seattle, WA (39 in)
Paradise Valley, AZ (9 in)
Month
Rain (in)
Jan
Feb
Mar
Apr
May
Jun
Jul
Aug
Sep
Oct
Nov
Dec
0
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
Can I include images with Nytril?
Yes. Nytril supports the inclusion and scaling of image formats (e.g. jpeg, png, svg...)
Can I create graphical figures with Nytril?
Yes. You can program drawings using canvases, shapes, and glyphs with the same power that you
have in graphics languages like SVG. There are also powerful box layout features like those in CSS
and HTML. The benefit is that you don't have to 'escape out' to a different language to create
graphics. The graphics primatives are built right in to the language and work hand-in-glove with
your code.
Can I use mathematical expressions like I can in Word and LaTeX?
Yes. Nytril has complete support for math expressions like matrices, integrals, sums and products
such as:
(
x
+
a
)
n
=
n
k
x
k
a
n
−
k
n
k
=
1
and it is easy to author popup hints for your symbols. Hover your mouse over a symbol in the
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expression above to see how this works. It is easy to create libraries of symbols and formulas for
reuse by reference throughout all of your documents.
Can I make more than one document at a time?
Yes. There is no limit to the number of documents that you can make at once. Many sets of
documents have common styles, fonts, colors, headers and text. Using Nytril, you can author all
of the common elements once, and reuse them by reference.
Once I make a set of documents, how do I export them out of Nytril?
Simply select 'Publish' and click OK. This will export all of your documents in a variety of formats
to a local path, from scratch, in a few seconds.
How do I edit or update a document after it is created?
With Nytril, you don't edit the documents. You edit the code that creates the documents. Your
code creates documents that appear in a built-in viewer on the right side of the IDE. To edit a
document, simply change the code, and hit F5 (refresh). All documents that depend on that code
will be instantly updated to reflect the change. Every time you publish, all documents are rebuilt
from scratch so you'll never wonder whether you forgot to update some part of a document.
What export formats does Nytril support?
Nytril can export your documents into DOCX, PDF, HTML and TXT formats. Single page
documents can be also be exported to the SVG, PNG, and JPEG formats. This allows you to
program and export logos into graphics files of various sizes and resolutions. For research papers,
you can use an included template to format your paper in a variety of common journal styles and
export your document into the LaTeX format.
Can I control the metadata for my exported documents?
Yes. Nytril allows you to specify per-document metadata such as Authors, Keywords, Description,
and Creation Date. This will be added to compatible document types such as DOCX and PDF
when they are exported. You won't have to worry about 'cleaning' the documents before you
publish them.
Does Nytril support Unicode and languages besides English?
Yes. The Nytril editor supports the full Unicode character set and does not need 'escape'
sequences for most characters. Just copy and paste. There is even a 'Paste-Special' feature that
helps you to import text from existing documents and convert it into the quoted string format
that Nytril uses.
Can I publish online so others can view my documents?
If you have an account with us you can publish locally and to the web in the same step. You can
make documents public so anyone can see them, or you can make them private and viewable by
invitation only.
I have my own domain. Can I add the Nytril document view to my site?
Yes. We will generate a special link for you to embed on your website. If they click on that link on
your site, your users will be taken to a 'document portal' where they will see only your content.
You can even program your portal to have your logo and color scheme.
Can I create technical documents in different unit systems like Metric and Imperial?
Yes. Nytril has built-in features to support unit conversions. There is no need to burden your
documentation with two sets of units for every measurement. Instead, you can build every
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document in Metric and Imperial mode. You control what this means for your particular needs,
of course. When viewed on the Nytril portal, your customers will automatically see the correct
document version for their preferred system of units.
Can I create different language translations for my documents?
Yes. Nytril has built-in features to suport publishing your documents in many different languages.
With an online account, you can even use our translation services to easily make a first-pass
translation of your text using AI. With properly stuctured Nytril code, you will only have to review
translations a single time ever. You will save the hassle and expense of having to retranslate
documents when only the data changes. Furthermore, on the Nytril portal, your customers will
automatically see your documents in their preferred language.
Can I use source control with Nytril?
Yes. Nytril source files are standard UTF8 text files (like those used by every language these days)
and they are compatible with all source-control systems. If you have Git installed on your
computer, support for common Git operations is built into the Nytril IDE. All the source-control
operations like pull, push, diff and merge work exactly the same way as they do with any
language.
Should I use a document management system to track my Nytril documents?
You can, but it is not required. Nytril documents are always entirely recreated from code, and
you already track code changes with Git, just like you would in any software project. A single
change to a logo or header would result in a change to every document in your set. With a
conventional DMS, this results in new versions of all of those documents being uploaded and
stored. This is not necessary because this small change is already tracked in version control as a
single code revision. This results in much more accurate version control and accountability.
How do I get program updates?
Nytril desktop will check online for updates when you start the program. If a new version is
detected, a red 'bell' icon
will appear in the toolbar. Click the bell to install the latest version.
Does the Nytril installer install anything other than Nytril?
No. When you install Nytril, you get the executable and the examples and help in your
application folder. There are no drivers, spyware or 'update bots' installed on your system.
Nothing is configured to run on startup. If you are not running Nytril, it is not doing anything on
your system. Uninstalling Nytril removes it completely from your system.
Does Nytril use any third-party libraries?
Yes. Nytril uses Microsoft DotNet and several other common libraries. These are built into the
executable and no user installation or configuration is required.
What is the difference between the Windows, Mac and Linux versions of Nytril?
Nytril is carefully designed to operate the same on different computers and platforms. All
platforms share 100% of the compiler, runtime library and high-level UI code. A program written
in Nytril will run and compute identically on all platforms, but there are some differences. The
menus and 'look and feel' are the same, although the Mac version has the Mac-style top-level
menu bar. Hot-keys that use 'control' on Windows and Linux, are changed to 'Command' on the
Mac. There are very minor differences in font metrics that may change layouts imperceptibly.
The Windows version uses WPF for its GUI framework. The Mac and Linux versions use the
Avalonia framework for the graphics and OS interface. PDF files exported on Windows are
smaller than other platforms due to the existance of a WPF optimization for font embedding.
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Is Nytril a compiled or interpreted language?
Nytril is 2-pass compiled language. It is compiled once completely before any statement runs, not
'on-the-fly' as the program runs. Because it is compiled in 2 passes, global variables and classes
can be referenced no matter where they are defined, which makes reorganizing your code easy.
There are no 'header files' as in C and C++ because all classes are defined in-place, like in Java,
Swift and C#. Once compiled, any static function in the program without parameters, can be 'run'
and its result evaluated visually. In the IDE, your program is re-compiled in the background as you
type, so there is not a 'compile' step to worry about. Simply type F5 to refresh your document
after you change your code.
Does Nytril have 'Projects' like in visual studio?
Yes, although Nytril projects have only two pieces of information: Name and Main Path. All of the
information about a program is gathered by compiling the Main file. If the main file includes
other source files (and they, in turn, include others) they all these files become the target source
files for the project. They are always compiled in the order that they are recursively discovered.
The IDE remembers all of your projects and allows you to switch between them instantly.
